News
2 Palestinian children killed by IDF fire
Associated Press, YNetNews 8/21/2007
IDF: Anyone who is next to a launching cell is in danger - Israeli forces killed two Palestinian children along the Gaza-Israel border on Tuesday, Palestinian medical officials said. The two dead were 10 and 12 years old, according to Dr. Muawiya Hassanin of the Palestinian Health Ministry. A third child, 10, was seriously wounded and six other people were lightly hurt, he said. The army said troops targeted two figures spotted near a rocket launcher in an area where a rocket had been fired into Israel earlier. A third child, 10, was seriously wounded and six other people were lightly hurt, all of them civilians, Hassanin said. The army said Palestinian rocket teams have been known to send young children to retrieve rocket launchers after the projectiles are fired.
Israeli fire kills three Palestinian in Gaza
Middle East Online 8/21/2007
GAZA CITY - An Israeli strike killed three militants from the Islamic Jihad group in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel on Tuesday, officials said. In a text message to journalists in Gaza, the militant group said the gunmen were killed east of the town of Khan Yunis as a result of a direct hit. An army spokesman said that the military "attacked and identified hitting three armed gunmen that were identified close to the security fence in the central Gaza Strip." Israel has carried out a number of strikes and incursions inside Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in mid-June. On Monday, six Hamas militants were killed in an Israeli strike on a jeep in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. The latest deaths took to 5,830 the number of people killed in Israeli-Palestinian violence since...
EU to resume Gaza fuel aid after days of blackouts
Daily Star 8/22/2007
The European Commission is prepared to resume its fuel aid to the Gaza Strip but warned it will suspend assistance again if a European Union-Palestinian audit team is concerned about where the money is going, a spokeswoman for the bloc said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, five Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday as the Gaza Strip threatened to plunge deeper into a humanitarian disaster. The EU announced it would resume financing fuel deliveries to the Gaza's sole power plant on Wednesday, after five days of blackouts in the impoverished Palestinian territory. European Commission spokeswoman Antonia Mochan told AFP that the setting up of a joint audit committee with the Palestinian Authority had enabled the fuel funding to resume.
OPT: Power shortages threaten sewage treatment
Tom Spender/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 8/21/2007
JERUSALEM, 21 August 2007 (IRIN) - If power and fuel shortages continue, a major sewage treatment plant in the Gaza Strip will be unable to operate, causing public health risks, a water and sanitation official said. "Without electricity, we will face a real environmental and humanitarian disaster," said Munzer Shublak, the head of Coastal Municipalities Water Utilities. He raised concerns that sewage would either end up flowing onto the streets or there might be another overflow of the plant, as occurred in April. He said they only had enough fuel for their generators for a few days, after which they would have trouble treating sewage. "We will also not be able to pump out clean water without power," he added. Power shortages worsened when Israel closed the Nahal Oz crossing for fuel supplies on 16 August over "security concerns".
Corruption in Gaza power company revealed by deputy chair of Palestinian power authority
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
He accused the Palestinian minister of information Riyad Al-Maliki of falsely claiming that Hamas took control of the power generating company and its income. - Gaza – Ma'an – Details of financial and administrative corruption in the Palestinian power company in Gaza was revealed by the deputy chair of the Palestinian power authority, Kan'an 'Ubeid, on Monday evening. At a press conference in Gaza City, 'Ubeid said there was evidence of money and grants being embezzled as well as finances provided for projects that never materialized. He called on the European Union to send monitors and auditors from local and international companies to investigate the accusations that money paid in utility bills was ending up in Hamas' coffers. 'Ubeid also called on President Mahmoud Abbas to bring to justice those alleged to have been involved in corruption at the power company.
Senior PFLP leader killed in El Ein refugee camp in Nablus
Ameen Abu Warda, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
In the wake of a widespread Israeli raid of the El Ein refugee camp, a large Israeli force clashed with Palestinian resistance fighters, killing a senior leader of Abu Ali Mustafa brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Local sources reported that Special Forces of Israeli army stormed the camp and surrounding areas and invaded several buildings while trying to break into the camp. During the incursion, armed clashes took place between the invading soldiers and Palestinian resistance fighters, clashes that led to the death of the senior PFLP leader Nasser Mabrouk, 37. The army also invaded Tal Town, located to the west of Nablus, kidnapping 3 Palestinians thought to be members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Morgan Stanley: Israel "most vulnerable country" to US slump
Globes'' correspondent, Globes Online 8/21/2007
"With almost 40% of exports going to America, the Israeli economy is highly exposed to what happens in the US." - Morgan Stanley has researched how the downside risks to growth in the US economy could threaten the rest of the world, and lists Israel as the region's "most vulnerable country" to a US slowdown. Analyst Serhan Cevik explains that "the correction in the housing market has brought a gradual slowdown in America's real GDP growth, from 3. 1% in 2005 to 2. 9% in 2006 and, according to our estimates, to 1. 9% this year. However, the liquidity squeeze and financial de-leveraging could prolong the housing slump and become a drag on overall economic growth." "Domestic and intra-regional factors should minimize the knock-on effects on the global economy, but the deepening of economic troubles in America could...
Palestinian detainees in Petah Tikva Israeli prison on Hunger Strike
International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
Palestinian detainees imprisoned in the Petah Tikva Israeli detention facility started on Tuesday an open-ended hunger strike in protest to bad living conditions and abusive treatment by the soldiers. In a letter which was leaked from the prison, the detainees stated that one of the reasons of the strike is the continued detention of some of them in Petah Tikva, which is an interrogation facility, instead of transferring them to central prisons. The detainees also stated in their letter that the food provided to them is of a bad quality and that the soldiers manning the detention facility carried repeated attacks against them. Meanwhile, the Nafha Society for Defending the Rights of the Detainees and Human Rights issued a press release calling on all human rights groups to act in order to save the lives of...
Israeli army invades several areas in the northern part of the West Bank, kidnaping 10 Palestinians
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
The Israeli army invaded several areas in the northern part of the West Bank on Tuesday morning, searching homes and kidnapping 10 Palestinians. Seven were kidnapped when Israeli troops invaded the village of Anbta, east of Tulkarem city. Witnesses said that soldiers stormed the village from several directions, searched homes and then took the seven to an unknown location. Among those kidnapped were Ahmad Milhem, 22, Hassan Jadallah, 22, and Ali Hijaz, 26. Mohamed Zine, 23, was also kidnapped by Israeli troops from his home in Kufer Dan village, near Tulkarem. Elsewhere, a massive Israeli force invaded the town of Qabatiya, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Troops surrounded the house of Sa'eed Saba'nah, 30, said to be a leader of the Al Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, in the area.
Palestinian military wings retaliate for Israeli massacre of six Hamas activists
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, and Fatah's Al Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles towards the Israeli-controlled Sufa Crossing, between southern Gaza and Israel, on Tuesday morning. The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles towards the Israeli Western Negev town of Sderot on Monday evening. The brigades issued statements announcing that the operations were retaliation for the Israeli massacre of six of Hamas' Qassam Brigades members in Gaza on Monday. In Jenin, in the northern West Bank, the Al Quds Brigades announced that they detonated an explosive device near an invading Israeli jeep on Tuesday morning.
Qassam lands in vacant Sderot daycare center
Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 8/21/2007
Palestinians fire two rockets toward western Negev; one Qassam hits vacant kindergarten, woman living nearby suffers from shock. 'Eventually these rockets will kill someone. This is why the Palestinians fire them - to kill,' Sderot's mayor says - Palestinians in north Gaza fired two Qassams toward Israel on Tuesday. One rocket struck a vacant Na'amat daycare center in the western Negev city of Sderot, causing slight damage to the building. A woman living nearby suffered from shock as a result of the attack. The second Qassam landed near a gas station outside the city; no injuries or damage were reported. "We heard the 'Color Red' alert system and then a very loud blast," said a resident who lives near the daycare center. "The rocket landed inside the daycare center grounds and hit a tree, which probably...
Israeli undercover forces abduct Al Quds Brigades operative and three citizens near Jenin
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Jenin – Ma'an – An Israeli undercover unit abducted prominent leader of Islamic Jihad's Al Quds Brigades, Yasin Saba'na, in Qabatiya, south of Jenin, on Tuesday morning. Three other Palestinian citizens, found in the same home, in the northern West Bank, were also seized. Ma'an's reporter quoted sources from Islamic Jihad as stating that an Israeli unit in a Palestinian-plated vehicle invaded an eastern neighbourhood of Qabatiya. The undercover forces stormed a home belonging to the Smadi family and took Saba'na and Muhammad, Abed and Nidal Smadi to an unknown destination. The source added that a huge Israeli military contingent reinforced the undercover unit. [end]
Israeli forces seize eleven Palestinian activists
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Tulkarem – Ma'an – The Israeli forces on Tuesday morning raided the towns of Anabta and Kafr Rumman, east of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, and abducted eleven Palestinian activists. Ma'an's correspondent reported that the invading Israeli forces seized eight Fatah activists in Anabta, a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) operative in Kafr Rumman and a Hamas member, who is a university student. [end]
300 Fatah members abducted by Israeli forces in Hebron this year
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Hebron – Ma'an – Sources from the Fatah movement said on Tuesday that the Israeli forces have been targeting Fatah members in the Hebron area and many have been abducted since the start of the year. The source said that more than 300 members were seized since the start of 2007 and most are detained in the Israeli prisons at Ashkelon, Maskoubiya and Jalama. Many are held in administrative detention, without charge or trial. The sources added that the Palestinian Prisoners' Society records reveal that the majority of Palestinians detained from the Hebron area are Fatah members. [end]
Cluster bomb explodes, kills Hezbollah militant in Lebanon
The Associated Press, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
BEIRUT - A member of Hezbollah has been killed by a cluster bomb left over from last summer's war between the militant group and Israel, Lebanon's National News Agency reported Monday. The agency did not say where or when Mahmoud Ali Mallah, 27, was killed but reported that he died while performing his Jihad duty. Hezbollah's Al-Manar news Web site said Mallah, who joined the group in 1998, was killed Monday but did not say where. Mallah's death brings to at least 30 the number of people who have been killed by cluster bomb and land mine explosions in Lebanon since the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah ended in a UN-brokered cease-fire on August 14, 2006. The United Nations and human rights groups have accused Israel of dropping about 4 million cluster bomblets during the summer fighting.
Child seriously injured by explosive device
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Rafah - Ma'an – An 11-year-old boy was seriously injured when an explosive device went off in Yabna refugee camp, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. A medical source from Abu Yousef An Najjar hospital said that Mahmoud Mohammad was admitted to hospital, suffering from serious injuries. [end]
Palestinians dead in Israeli raids
Al Jazeera 8/21/2007
Two Palestinian boys have been killed and three wounded in an Israeli missile strike on Gaza. A Palestinian ministry of health official said the two boys - aged 11 and 12 - were in an area close to where fighters had fired rockets into Israel. The Israeli army said its forces fired on two Palestinians who were standing next to a rocket launcher soon after militants had fired into Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, an Israeli air strike has killed three fighters from Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel. In a text message to journalists, the group said that the men were killed east of the town of Khan Yunis on Tuesday, as the result of a direct hit. An Israeli army spokesman said that the military "attacked and identified hitting three armed gunmen that were identified close to the security fence in the central Gaza Strip.
Home Front Command head: No total protection from Qassams
Motti Bassok and Eli Ashkenazis, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
Home Front Command head Major General Yitzhak Gershon told the Knesset on Monday that it is impossible to fully protect structures from a direct Qassam rocket hit. He was responding to criticism of Home Front Command during the Second Lebanon War in a report published by the State Comptroller. Gershon said that attention had been paid to all problems highlighted by the report, but warned that there was still a great deal of work to do. He accused local authorities of various inadequacies, saying the responsibility for incidents such as the chemical spillage in Ramat Hovav last week lay with local authorities and not the Home Front Command." An accident like the one in Ramat Hovav can occur every day," he said, "but the local authorities have not taken any action to provide security for the public against dangerous chemicals and other materials.
Brigades launch mortars at Nahal Oz
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza- Ma'an- The Abu Ali Mustafa, Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa and Al-Nasser brigades on Tuesday launched seven mortars at the Israeli town of Nahal Oz, on the border of the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, the brigades said that the "joint operation came in retaliation for Israeli crimes and aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank." [end]
Palestine national youth football team refused visas to enter UK
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
The British Government has refused to issue visas for the Palestine National Youth Football Team to travel to England. The team was due to arrive on 21st August for a 3-week tour of the UK. Visas were refused both to Palestinians living in Palestine, and refugees domiciled elsewhere. The official reason given for refusing to issue the visas is that the Palestinians are too poor to be trusted to return home. The Entry Clearance Officer at the Jerusalem Consulate said, "The refusal has been taken at the highest level in London. It is in line with current immigration policy". Rod Cox, the organizer of the tour, branded the decision as "incredible," adding that "Only a few months ago the Foreign Office was considering funding this scheme under the 'Engagement with Islam' programme.
Palestine Today 082107
Ghassan Bannoura - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file - || File 3. 66MB || Time 4m 0s || - Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday August 21st, 2007. In the West Bank, a senior leader of Abu Ali Mustafa brigades is killed near Nablus. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, two separate Israeli air strikes have left at least nine Palestinians dead and several others injured. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The West Bank - A senior leader of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was killed when Israeli forces invaded the El Ein refugee camp, located near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Haniyeh rejects any negotiations on relinquishing Jerusalem
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday stated his absolute rejection of any Palestinian-Israeli or Arab-Israeli negotiations on relinquishing Jerusalem, whether behind the scenes or in public." We have not and will not entrust anybody at any given stage to relinquish Jerusalem or any unalienable right of the Palestinian people," Haniyeh said at a conference commemorating the 38th anniversary of the arson attack on the Al-Aqsa mosque. He added, "We will not give up on one hand span of Palestinian land. We will not recognise the geographic divisions which are made in the secret or public negotiations."
Peres says he will meet Abbas
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an – The Israeli President, Shimon Peres said that he planned to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the near future." It is clear that such a meeting is extremely significant in terms of diplomacy, and therefore this will be fully coordinated with the Prime Minister's Office," he said in an interview in the Israeli daily newspaper Yedoth AhrothPeres also said he had met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and other Palestinian officials two weeks ago. Peres blamed the isolation of the Gaza Strip on the behaviour of Hamas." Hamas doesn't want peace and continues to fire and terrorise Israel. It does not honour past agreements and does not recognise Israel.
Peres says met with Palestinian prime minister
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 8/21/2007
President tells chairman of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe he plans to meet with Palestinian President Abbas in near future; adds Europe's investment in Tehran's oil fields causing a lot of damage - Europe's investment in Tehran's oil fields is causing a lot of damage, President Shimon Peres told the chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Rene van der Linden, whom he met at his Jerusalem residence on Tuesday. "If Europe has decided to invest $10 billion in Iran's oil fields for good humanitarian reasons, the Ayatollahs in Iran will interpret that as clear support for Tehran's policy by the free world. Europe should avoid such an unnecessary investment," the president said. Nuclear Issue Peres urges world to unite against Iran / AFP 'If Iran...
Spokesman for deposed government condemns escalating Israeli aggression
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza - Ma'an- A spokesman for the deposed Palestinian government condemned the ongoing Israeli bombardment and assassinations in the Palestinian territories." The Israeli occupation forces have escalated their attacks and aggressions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and have killed nine Palestinians in the last 24 hours," the unnamed spokesman said in a statement issued on Tuesday. He added that the Israeli government is attempting to benefit from the current internal Palestinian situation and is continuing to kill "our people." "The killing and assassination of our people will strengthen the Palestinians and make them more powerful," he added. [end]
PNI leader condemns "ugly crimes" committed by Israeli forces
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Ramallah - Ma'an – The Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) leader, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi, on Tuesday condemned the "ugly crimes committed by the Israeli forces in the Palestinian territories." In a statement Barghouthi added that "the Israelis are escalating their crimes and have killed 11 Palestinians in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including an 11-year-old child." Barghouthi called on international societies and movements across the world to pressurise their governments to boycott the Israeli government and to impose sanctions against Israel "which allows itself to shed the blood of Palestinians." He also said that Israel considers itself a state that is "above international law." [end]
Gaza Strip: UN official warns of worsening humanitarian conditions
United Nations News Service, ReliefWeb 8/21/2007
A senior United Nations official in the Middle East today voiced concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip, where the closure of border crossings and other restrictions have cut exports and forced factories to shut, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians without jobs or income. Kevin Kennedy, the Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement that while the basic humanitarian needs of Gaza's estimated population of 1. 4 million people are largely being met, the conditions remain very difficult. UN officials have warned repeatedly in recent weeks that the closure of border crossings since intra-Palestinian violence flared in May and June and Hamas took control of the territory is threatening Gaza's economic sustainability.
In pictures: Surfing for peace
BBC Online 8/21/2007
A Palestinian porter pushes surfboards past the security gates of the Erez Crossing, in the Gaza Strip. The boards have been donated to Palestinian youths by an elderly American surfer. Several Israeli companies and donors also contributed to the donation of 12 surfboards. The gesture is part of the wider "Surfing for Peace" movement. Doran Paskowitz, 86, from Hawaii, handed over some of the surfboards himself. The retired Jewish doctor hopes a love of surfing will help bring Israelis and Palestinians together. Gaza's surfing community is small. Dr Paskowitz said he was spurred into action after reading about two surfers in Gaza who only had one board to share between them. The beach is one of the few places Gazans can feel free. However, it is closely monitored by the Israeli military which controls the sea off Gaza's coast and the airspace above.
Make surf not war in Gaza
Middle East Online 8/21/2007
EREZ CROSSING, Israel - For American surf legend Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, the waves of the volatile Gaza Strip could be a key to Israeli-Palestinian peace. The 87-year-old wave guru has rustled up the support of Israeli companies and donors to buy 15 surfboards for Palestinians in Gaza. "If guys can surf together they can live together, it is as simple as that," Paskowitz said. Tanned, white-haired, bare-chested and carrying two surfboards under his arms, Paskowitz and members of his Surfing For Peace Movement handed the colourful boards to Gaza riders at a small ceremony on Tuesday at the Erez crossing between Israel and the impoverished coastal area. He said he came up with the idea at his home in Hawaii about two weeks ago when he saw a picture of "two surfers in Gaza with a stinking board.
Soldiers kidnap two residents though their names were dropped from its "wanted list"
Najeeb Farraj, International Middle East Media Center 8/22/2007
Human Rights sources in the occupied city of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported on Tuesday that Israeli soldiers kidnapped two Palestinians who were wanted by the Israeli security and their names were among 250 Palestinians which Israel claimed it dropped them from their wanted list following an agreement with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. The arrest comes in direct violation to the agreement which stated that those wanted members of the resistance will not be arrested by the Israeli army after they signed a commitment that they will surrender their arms and will not attack any Israeli targets. The agreement also stated that they will be integrated into Palestinian security devices controlled by Abbas. The two kidnapped residents were identified as Eyad Ahmad Bisharat, from...
PLO chief meets UN Middle East peace coordinator to discuss Palestinian issues
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Jericho – Ma'an – Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Chief Negotiator, Saeb Erekat, met with United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Michael Williams, in Jericho on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian arena at both political and field levels. Erekat issued a press release stressing that a solid and dependable peace process must be launched and should end the Israeli occupation and lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The peace process should be based on international resolutions, said Erekat, including; the Arab Initiative and George Bush's Road Map for Peace. Erekat also stated that what is necessary in the current stage of the peace process is secure mechanisms and timetables.
Former Israeli official suggests curbing rise of Hamas through welfare provision
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
Rani Lowenstein, a former Israeli official, has suggested that the Palestinian Authority should implement a comprehensive welfare state system in the West Bank in order to curb the rise of Hamas and establish a parliamentary majority in any future Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Lowenstein, considered by many to be close to the current Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, made the suggestions in a report presented to Palestinian officials during a conference in the United States. The report predicts a Hamas takeover of the West Bank within two years if the PA does not take serious measures to improve the standard of life in the region. The document goes on to suggest, in a somewhat contradictory fashion, that the Fatah movement should concentrate upon short-term schemes, seemingly solely designed...
Press fury at Gaza blackout
BBC Online 8/21/2007
Papers in the Middle East express outrage at the cuts in the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, caused by an EU decision to stop paying for fuel for power generation. A Jordanian daily calls the EU move a "flagrant violation" of human rights, while an Iranian paper brands it a shameful "dirty step". Two Palestinian papers take a more resigned attitude, describing a sad and bleak situation in which people are patiently coping. JORDAN'S AL-RAY Frankly speaking, if the reason for the blackout was that the EU stopped financing the purchase of fuel necessary for power generation, what happened is not up to EU standards if it considers itself a human rights advocate. At the same time it practises a flagrant violation of the simplest human rights in this besieged city.
Two Palestinian prisoners launch appeal to save lives
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
Amjad Abbadi and Mohammad Samara, two Palestinian prisoners from the northern West Bank city of Jenin, launched an appeal on Wednesday to International Human Rights organization to intervene with the Israeli authorities to help save their lives. Thaer Abu Baker, member in the Directorate of Palestinian Prisoners Affairs in Jenin, reported that Abbadi is suffering from a serious bladder infection in the Jalbou'a detention center that threatens his life and causes him dreadful pain. He has a bladder infection, leaving him under a dreadful pain. He appealed for several related sides to help saving his life but with no response. The other imprisoned Palestinian, Samara, has spent three years in Israeli detention and is currently held in isolation in the Damoon detention center.
Al Mezan Center calls on the international community to protect the Palestinian civilians
Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
The Al Mezan Center For Human Rights issued on Tuesday a press release calling on the International Community to act in order to protect the Palestinian civilians from the ongoing Israeli military attacks against them. The Center stated that the Israeli policy of using excessive force against the Palestinians led to the death of 16 residents, while at least 35 were injured since the beginning of this month. The Center considered these attacks as direct violations to the international law and the basic principles of human rights, and said that Israel, encouraged by the international idleness towards its violations, is carrying organized attacks against the Palestinians. The Center stated that the international community must act immediately in order to stop the Israeli violations to human rights and the international...
Nursery in Jenin attacked and robbed by unknown assailants
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Jenin – Ma'an – Anonymous assailants stormed the Sanabil nursery, which belongs to the Women's Committees of Jenin, in the northern West Bank, on Monday night. The attackers stole property and destroyed documents. Governor of Jenin, Qaddora Mousa, visited the nursery to assess the damage. Mousa described the assault as "immoral and cowardly". He added, "Such conduct is only the behaviour of mobs, who seek to desecrate both public and private property, while the security services strive to impose law and order." Chair of the general union of Palestinian women in Jenin, Wafa Zakarna, said that the perpetrators thieved and damaged property estimated to be worth 6,000 NIS (~$1,400 US). [end]
Ministry of Health employee arrested at Allenby Crossing
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Nablus – Salfit - Ma'an - Israeli forces arrested a Ministry of Health employee at the Allenby Crossing as he was returning from Jordan. Izzat Rayyan, from Qarawat Bani Hassan, near Salfit, was taken to unknown destination. Many Palestinians have been arrested at the bridge on their return from Jordan. The Allenby Bridge is the only exit point for Palestinians who live in the West Bank into Jordan and is located some 6km east of the West Bank city of Jericho. [end]
OPT: Medical-ethical position paper on Israeli policies at Erez crossing, Gaza
Physicians for Human Rights - PHR, ReliefWeb 8/21/2007
Background - The second week of June 2007 witnessed an escalation of armed clashes between Hamas and Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip. Between the 12th and the 17th of June some 170 people were killed and many hundreds were injured by gunfire. On 9. 6 Rafah Crossing, the only access to Egypt, was closed, and on the morning of 14. 6 Erez Crossing into Israel was also closed by the Israeli authorities. As a result, access of the sick and wounded to treatment unavailable in Gaza was completely blocked. On 19. 6 Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) and "Gisha" Center submitted a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice, demanding the opening of the crossings to the sick and wounded and entry permits for 26 patients in urgent need of medical care in Israel.
EU agrees to resume fuel supply to Gaza
Reuters, YNetNews 8/21/2007
European Union agrees to resume funding fuel shipments to main power plant in Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after receiving assurances bloc would have greater oversight - The European Union said on Tuesday it agreed to resume funding fuel shipments to the main power plant in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after receiving assurances the bloc would have greater oversight. Starved of EU-funded and Israeli-supplied fuel, the plant has cut off power to large parts of the Gaza Strip, causing widespread blackouts over the past few days in the territory. "In agreement with the Palestinian Authority, the (European) Commission will resume Wednesday, on a provisional basis, deliveries of fuel to the Gaza power plant," the EU said in a statement.
Egypt affirms its commitment towards contributing to providing electricity to Gaza
Government of Egypt, ReliefWeb 8/20/2007
The official spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry affirmed Egypt's continuous commitment towards providing electricity to Gaza strip within the framework of its unwavering general commitment towards providing all possible forms of support to the Palestinians in Gaza. Commenting on the disruption of electricity in Gaza throughout the past few days, the spokesman stated that tampering with the basic necessities of the Palestinian People should not happen under any circumstances or pretexts. The spokesman also stressed that the arrangements made to provide electricity to Gaza should remain the same, and that all parties should refrain from using the basic utilities to impose political pressure. With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source.
European Commission to resume deliveries of fuel to Gaza Power Plant on a provisional basis
European Commission - EC, ReliefWeb 8/21/2007
Following a meeting that took place today Tuesday 21 August with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Fayyad, the European Commission is willing to carry out immediately the necessary joint Commission/Palestinian Authority audits to ensure that fuel aid in Gaza remains properly managed. In agreement with the Palestinian Authority, the Commission has decided meanwhile to resume on Wednesday, on a provisional basis, deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Power Plant with the expectation that any further measures and controls needed following the audit will be put into place immediately. The Commission has always done its utmost to provide emergency assistance to the population in Gaza and has always acted to ensure that this assistance reaches the people it is addressed to, the Palestinians in need.
EU to resume payment of Gaza fuel
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
The European Union announced Tuesday afternoon that it would resume the funding of fuel for the Gaza Strip's only power plant. The announcement follows the EU's decision to suspend funding after suspicions that the Hamas were profiting from the plant's operation by imposing taxes on electricity bills in the coastal region, accusations that the movement denied. Earlier on Tuesday, the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called on the EU to send monitors to the region so that the Hamas movement could prove that they had in no way profited from the plant. "We challenge anyone who says that the government has taken one shekel […] or one litre of Gasoline. We welcome any independent inquiry mission to investigate," Haniyeh stated.
Thirsting for a solution
Daphna Golan, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
On Sunday, World Bank representatives held a public hearing on the planned Dead Sea-Red Sea Canal, and were astonished by the harsh criticism. Representatives of the green organizations, academics, a former water commissioner and representatives of residents of the Arava region expressed their anger and disappointment that the World Bank had not examined alternatives to the "peace canal," which would change the face of the region, and not for the better. The canal, an initiative of President Shimon Peres, is supposed to bring an annual 1. 8 million cubic meters of water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, provide water for Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, produce electricity for Israel and keep the Dead Sea from drying up. The green organizations and many academics oppose the canal because less expensive,...
Islamic-Christian front: "Israel is still carrying attacks against the Al Aqsa Mosque"
International Middle East Media Center 8/22/2007
Dr. Hasan Khater, general-coordinator of the for the Islamic-Christian Front for Defending Jerusalem, stated on Tuesday, in an event commemorating the 38th anniversary ofburning the Al Aqsa mosque by a fundamental Jew, that the mosque is still endangered and isolated by Walls installed by Israel. Khater stated that the fire which broke out forty years ago was controlled by the unity of the Palestinians who rushed to save the mosque. He added that the current internal crises in Palestine, and the ongoing internal conflict, shifted the Palestinians away from defending Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa Mosque, and that the ongoing internal clashes will be a resemblance "of the fuel which will burn Jerusalem and its holy places". Khater also confirmed that the Al Aqsa mosque is still under attack, and that the danger...
ADL recognizes Armenian genocide
Yaakov Lappin, YNetNews 8/21/2007
Jewish organization makes dramatic U-turn four days after sacking regional director - The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has formally recognized the genocide of Armenians at the hand of Turkey in a statement released on Tuesday, marking a dramatic U-turn over the organization's position on the issue. Between 1915 and 1918, some 1. 5 million Armenians died in Ottoman Turkey. Many of them perished during - or were shot after - forced marches across hundreds of miles, commonly known as death marches. Just four days ago, the ADL sacked its New England Regional Director, Andrew H. Tarsy, who blasted the organization for failing to recognize the genocide. During a phone conversation with the ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman, Tarsy said he found the ADL's position on the issue "morally indefensible".
Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Food Security and Market Monitoring Report No. 9 - Jun 2007
United Nations World Food Programme - WFP, ReliefWeb 6/30/2007
WFP Food Security and Market Monitoring Report provides up-to-date information on access and availability of basic food commodities in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). This report examines food security and markets analysis determinants in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), addressing: (i) the market in terms of price fluctuations and differentials (ii) economic access to food by the poorest households and food availability in rural and urban areas; (iii) areas and populations most affected by food insecurity; and, (iv) recent food security studies. This information, coupled with other socio-economic indicators, will enable WFP and other key actors to monitor trends and changes regarding the food security sector, and contribute in strengthening the targeting process of the most food insecure geographical areas and population.
Al Mezan calls for a fair resolution of the municipalities' workers problems and evading a Gaza health crisis
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, ReliefWeb 8/21/2007
The workers of several municipalities in the Gaza Strip started strikes recently in a protest over long belated payment of their salaries. At approximately 10am on Monday 20 August 2007, the employees of Jabaliya An-Nazla, north of the Gaza Strip, commenced a strike. They said the step was to protest a months-long delay in payment of their salaries, which started as early as July 2006. The sanitation and water departments and the administration are excluded. Workers said they would evaluate the progress of their step, as well as its repercussions on Saturday 25 August 2007. They did not rule out the possibility to escalate their strike. The employees of Khan Younis municipality also commenced an open strike on 19 August 2007 on similar grounds.
Deposed Palestinian government threatens to sack striking workers
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The deposed Palestinian government on Tuesday threatened to take punitive measures against striking employees in the Gaza Strip. The deposed ministry of health accused the protestors of adopting a narrow-minded agenda, which serves non-patriotic goals, despite frequent calls to keep the health sector out of political conflict. The ministry threatened to replace every employee who does not attend their work. The workers are protesting the non-payment of their salaries. [end]
Probationary-contract employees at the Ministries of Social Affairs, Labour and Endowments to be paid
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Ramallah – Ma'an – Probationary-contract employees at the Ministries of Social Affairs, Labour and Endowments in the West Bank will receive a month's salary on Wednesday after months of waiting, Assistant Under Secretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs, Nasser Qatami, announced on Tuesday. Qatami said he is hoping that they will return to work as they are currently on strike because of not being paid. He added that the Ministry of Social Affairs will calculate how much each employee is still owed. He also said that the Ministry of Labor intends to request that Israel increase the number of work permits for Palestinians to work in Israel. [end]
Palestinian official exposes corruption in Gaza Electricity Company
Wissam Afifa & Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/21/2007
Kin'an Obeed, the vice president of the Palestinian Power Authority, exposed on Tuesday the financial and managerial corruption of the Palestinian Electricity Company in the Gaza strip. The corruption included fuel theft, fake development projects and money grants. Obeed demanded that the European Union send international or local independent monitors and accounting auditors to supervise the company and conduct an investigation into the allegations that Hamas was collecting money for electricity bills and transferring it to the movement's accounts. European Union officials indicated on Monday that the EU would resume funding Gaza's only power plant on the condition that it received assurances that the Hamas movement would refrain from imposing taxes on electricity bills in the coastal region.
Deposed government accuses leading figures of conspiracy to cut power in Gaza
Ma'an News Agency 8/21/2007
Gaza - Ma'an – The deposed Palestinian government announced on Monday that it would begin legal measures to address corruption in the Gaza Power Plant. In its weekly session in Gaza City, the deposed government accused Palestinian leaders of involvement in a conspiracy to cut power in the Gaza Strip. The government named two figures it believes are key players in the conspiracy; Fatah leader Sa'di Al-Krunz and Information Minister in the caretaker government, Riyad Al-Maliki. The deposed government also alleges that the two leaders are circulating rumours of corruption in the power company in order cease it's funding from foreign sources." There are no political, nor security justifications that prevent the resumption of fuel supply to the strip," said the deposed government.
Fatah struggles to regain power
Rula Amin in Ramallah, Al Jazeera 8/21/2007
The Fatah movement has been at the forefront of the Palestinian struggle for an independent state, but has also faced accusations of corruption and cronyism. Now it is facing one of its biggest challenges yet after having lost control over the Gaza Strip to its main rival, Hamas. Al Jazeera's Rula Amin looks at Fatah's battle to regain the support of the Palestinian people. The Fatah movement of Yasser Arafat, the late president, led the Palestinians in their struggle for freedom for decades. Years later, the movement lead the Palestinians to peace talks with Israel. Almost two years after the death of Arafat, and after nearly forty years in power, Fatah is believed losing ground. The movement experienced its first defeat when it lost parliamentary elections to Hamas in early 2006.
Army planning to fire 170 settlement security guards
Yuval Azoulay, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
The army does not intend to renew its contract with some 170 security guards in West Bank settlements, military sources told Haaretz yesterday. Via these contracts, which are due to expire by the end of 2007, the Israel Defense Forces employed civilian guards who provided security for 35 settlements. It hired up to eight guards in each settlement, usually residents of that settlement. The guards conducted patrols and were the first responders to terrorist attacks within the settlement and the surrounding area. All guards in this program, known as "Fortress," received IDF training and equipment, as well as full salaries and benefits. An officer in the IDF Central Command explained that the defense establishment is not interested in renewing the contracts because that would oblige the Defense Ministry to make the Fortress guards permanent employees.
Barak: IDF needs to be bigger and much better equipped
Yuval Azoulay, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
The Israel Defense Forces needs to be bigger and more technologically advanced in order to deal properly with future threats, Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared yesterday. Speaking at his first press conference since taking office two months ago, Barak said that he had been surprised to discover "certain facts regarding stores, the order of battle and the 'breathing room' of the IDF and the defense establishment" in general. He told military correspondents that without a multiyear force-building plan, it will not be possible for the army to implement Israel's basic defense doctrine, which is based on deterrence, early warning and victory in battle. The defense minister said that the shortcomings he found in the defense establishment stemmed from the budget cuts of the past few years, including in programs...
Fraud or deception?
Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
Booby-trapped deal. Could the Finance Ministry have included a clause in the deal with Holocaust survivors that voids it of all substance? That is what MKs Colette Avital and Zahava Gal-On claimed yesterday during discussions in the Knesset on the aid package to survivors. According to the clause in question, aid to Holocaust survivors will not drop below NIS 3,400 a month. Avital and Gal-On concluded that whoever already receives government assistance greater than NIS 3,400 will not receive the new grants. The difference between the two MKs is that Gal-On is certain this was a premeditated attempt to cheat the survivors. Avital is unsure whether it was a mistake or a plot. A question of timing. It is no coincidence that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is so happy with Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik's performance.
Child hit by stray bullet while fishing
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 8/21/2007
Police, IDF believe bullet shot from firing range in military base near Nitzanim beach - An 12-year-old boy was lightly injured Monday evening after a bullet hit his buttocks at the Nitzanim beach. The boy was rushed to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and was later transferred to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. An initial inquiry revealed that the boy, Dar Shay, was apparently hit by a stray bullet fired from an IDF firing range at a nearby training base. The army and the police launched an investigation into the incident. Military sources said that the child, who was out fishing with his father, may have been sitting in a closed area in the beach despite a number of signs in the area prohibiting civilians' entry.
Health system not ready for next war, says MK Orlev
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 8/21/2007
In special State Control Committee meeting addressing comptroller's report on Israel's home front, Rambam hospital director says government shirking responsibility, not paying for fortification - "Israel's health system is not ready for the next war," MK Zevulun Orlev. chairman of the Knesset's State Control Committee, said Monday at a special meeting following the state comptroller's recent report on the handling of Israel's home front during the Second Lebanon War. The committee members addressed the problem of fortification of hospitals. Rafi Beyar, director of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, claimed that the government was "shirking its national responsibility to ensure the safety of the residents of the north by not transferring funds for fortifying the hospital.
Hanegbi to Winograd: War ended with achievements
Yoav Friedman, YNetNews 8/21/2007
Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman tells inquiry committee war could have ended much worse, deployment of international forces at border a significant achievement - Israel reached a significant achievement by the end of the Second Lebanon War, MK Tzachi Hanegbi, chairman of Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee told the Winograd Commission. Hanegbi's testimony to the commission investigating the failures of the Second Lebanon War was made public on Tuesday. "The decision to go to war was made since there was no way to stop the Katyusha attacks other than a long-term ground operation"¦ "What stopped this operation was resolution 1701, which surreally (turned the war) into the first battle in the history of the State of Israel - perhaps excluding the War of Independence...
Comptroller considers investigating Ariel College
Moran Zelikovich, YNetNews 8/21/2007
West Bank college declared itself a 'university' without Education Ministry's authorization. 'This method of operation - of trying to establish facts on the ground - is akin to the establishment of illegal outposts,' MK Pines-Paz tells comptroller - State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss is considering launching an investigation against the Ariel academic college, located in the West Bank, for declaring itself a 'university center' without the Education Ministry's authorization. In a letter addressed to the comptroller, Knesset Member Ophir Pines-Paz said "this method of operation - of trying to establish facts on the ground - is akin to the establishment of illegal outposts (in the West Bank). They are ignoring the law. "The prime minister shamefully rushed to congratulate the college, despite Education Minister Yuli Tamir's objection," Pines-Paz wrote.
No more cell phones in cabinet meetings
Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 8/21/2007
In effort to reduce government leaks, ministers must hand in their phones before meeting starts - Cell phones and other communication devices will no longer be allowed in cabinet meetings, cabinet secretary Oved Yehezkel informed ministers by memorandum Tuesday. The new regulation is part of a government policy to combat leaks to the media regarding sensitive issues discussed by the cabinet. "You must deposit communication devices prior to entering the weekly government meeting. They will be returned to you at the end of the meeting," Yehezkel's note stated. Sources from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said that the prohibition of cellular phones at government meetings was suggested in the interim report released by the Winograd commission, and has since been advocated by a new committee...
IDF officer acquitted of rape charges, rank restored
Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 8/22/2007
Shocking indictment charging officer with rape ends in full acquittal. Army to restore officer's rank after demoting him to private, order complainant to return $3,500 defendant paid as compensation - An IDF officer convicted of raping a female soldier under his command was acquitted of any wrongdoing at the military appeals court on Tuesday. The officer faced a three-year prison sentence and had been stripped of his rank and demoted to private. The complainant, who received thousands of dollars as compensation form the defendant, was ordered to repay him the full amount. The alleged incidents took place at the Erez crossing, the main border crossing into Gaza and a high risk environment. The officer was also charged with endangering the female soldier due to the location.
Builders seek permits for 10,000 additional Palestinian workers
Haim Bior, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
The Association of Contractors and Builders demanded Tuesday that the number of Palestinian construction workers who have permits to work in Israel be increased by 10,000. According to the association, 5,000 are urgently needed. The 10,000 would be in addition to the 14,200 Palestinian workers currently employed in the sector. The president of the association, Nisim Bublil, raised the demand Tuesday during a tour of construction sites in Jersulem with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Yossi Mishlav. The Jerusalem construction sites frequently employ Palestinian laborers. "The construction industry craves for workers in order to meet project deadlines," said Bublil. He also said that the number of migrant construction workers, who are mainly Romanian and Chinese, has shrunk massively in recent years to 8,000 only.
Labor relations / Watchdog dozes as employers run riot
Haim Bior, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
The Industry and Trade Ministry recently conducted a highly unusual survey. It sought to learn how much workers know about their salaries. Its findings were perhaps less than surprising, but they were upsetting. The ministry found that 63 percent of workers who receive "low pay," namely less than NIS 4,500 a month, lacked even the most basic understanding of their salaries. First and foremost, they had no idea what minimum wage was. About the same proportion of workers could not say which pay components were factored into the minimum wage, although their pay slips state this very thing. The ministry also found that only 7. 2 percent of workers believe their employers pay the minimum wage as laid down by law. The rest think they receive less but had overestimated the minimum wage.
Water authority sees price hikes and education
Dalia Tal, Globes Online 8/21/2007
Water Authority Council director general Prof. Uri Shani says water rates will probably rise by 10% during 2008 because of the operation of seawater desalination plants that charge $0. 60 per cubic meter and because of the launch of operations by water and sewage corporations. Shani said that the real price of water had risen in recent years by 40%, but that the Ministry of Finance was the agency that was calling for the rate hike. He added that Israel was suffering from a severe water shortage caused by rising consumption and the many recent droughts. Shani said that models showed a once in a decade extreme drought that was liable to harm agriculture. He added that climatic changes and global warming were liable to worsen the problem of droughts.
IEC may up gas purchases from EMG
Lior Baron, Globes Online 8/21/2007
Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) will probably exercise an option in its contract with Egypt's East Mediterranean Gas Co. (EMG) to increase purchases of natural gas by 25%. The additional purchases will amount to hundreds of millions of shekels a year over the period of the contract. Sources inform ''Globes'' that IEC management recommended to the board to increase natural gas purchases from EMG immediately from the beginning of the contract. EMG will supply IEC 1. 7 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas a year over 15 years. IEC has an option to either extend the contract period to 20 years or to increase the amount of gas it will purchase each year to 2. 1-2. 2 billion BCM. Sources said that outgoing IEC CEO Uri Ben-Nun advised the board to exercise the option to increase gas purchases beginning in 2008-09.
Hapoalim extends credit to Kazakh bank
Eran Peer, Globes Online 8/21/2007
Bank TuranAlem will use the funds to finance purchases from Israeli exporters. Bank Hapoalim has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan's Bank TuranAlem to provide a credit line, backed by Ashra Israel Export Insurance Corp. Ltd. , to finance Israeli exports to that country. The credit line will finance 85% of medium and long-term export contracts. Bank TuranAlem is one of Kazakhstan's largest banks. Bank TuranAlem will use Bank Hapoalim's credit line to provide matching loans to Kazakh companies. The loans will finance purchase of Israeli goods and services in the irrigation and agriculture, telecommunications, medical devices and healthcare, infrastructures, education, environmental, and other sectors. In this way, Bank TuranAlem guarantees that the Israeli exporters that the contract will be carried out under cash terms.
State of Economy Index rose strongly in July
Zeev Klein, Globes Online 8/21/2007
The Bank of Israel State of the Economy Index rose 1. 1% in July 2007. The index rose 3% in May-July altogether, after the Bank of Israel revised the May and June indices upwards by half a percentage point. The Bank of Israel said that the July rise in the index indicated "the continued rapid expansion of economic activity. " GDP and business product both grew by annualized 6% in the first half of the year. The State of the Economy Index rose by 7. 4% in 2006, 6. 6% in 2005, 7. 5% in 2004, and 3. 3% in 2003. The breakdown in the index in July was as follows: the index of manufacturing production fell 2. 5% in June, after rising 2. 5% in May. The commerce and services revenue index rose 3. 3% in June after rising 1. 2% in May. The goods exports index rose 8.
High-tech output down 3% Q2
Zeev Klein, Globes Online 8/21/2007
Industrial output rose 6. 5% in the first half compared with the first half of 2006, and high-tech output rose 12. 4%. The Central Bureau of Statistics today published industrial output data for the first half of the year, which show both strong growth and worrying signs of a slowdown during the second quarter. Industrial output rose 6. 5% in the first half compared with the first half of 2006, including 12. 4% growth by high-tech industries, including pharmaceuticals. Industrial job growth was 4. 2%. However, trend figures for the second quarter indicate that industrial output was unchanged, compared with the first quarter and high-tech output fell 3%. The number of industrial jobs rose by 2. 6%, while work hours rose by an annualized 0. 7%. The number of high-tech workers rose by an annualized 4%.
Police plan to grill bank execs in Heftsiba collapse
Jonathan Lis Eti Aflalo and Moti Bassok, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
Police plan to investigate suspicions that bank officials colluded with the Heftsiba construction group to provide unorthodox financing that contributed to the company's collapse. To date, the fraud squad's investigation has focused on Heftsiba executives, some of whom have been placed under arrest. However, investigators are expected to expand their probe in the coming days to cover the banks and bank officials who funded Heftsiba's construction projects and provided the conglomerate with credit. Police sources told Haaretz that the investigation will examine suspicions that bank officials colluded with Heftsiba and in some instances even received bribes from the company. Among the issues that investigators will explore are the credit line offered to the Yona family, which owns Heftsiba, and the company's...
A memoir of a war in 33 parts, soundtrack included
Jim Quilty, Daily Star 8/22/2007
Interview - BEIRUT: Nev Mountford says it's all about giving folks a voice. Last summer's Israeli onslaught against Lebanon has yet to be named - there's still some disagreement, in fact, as to whether it lasted for 33 days or 34 - but that hasn't hindered the flood of cultural production it has generated over the last year or so. One of these is "33 Days Last Summer," a Web-based multi-media project devoted to documenting individual Lebanese reactions to the summer war that's been conducted by the UK-based trust Picture People, aka Nevil Mountford. The "33 Days" project has a simple premise. Mountford's been going around Beirut with a video camera, asking people what music they were listening to during the war, recording their responses and requesting a sample of the tune.
Egypt footprint 'could be oldest'
BBC Online 8/21/2007
Archaeologists in Egypt say they have discovered what might be the oldest human footprint ever found. The outline was found imprinted in mud, which has since turned to stone, at Siwa oasis in the western desert. "This could go back about two million years," antiquities council chief Zahi Hawass was quoted by Reuters as saying. However Khaled Saad, director of pre-history at the council, said it could be older still, and pre-date Ethiopia's 3m-year-old skeleton, Lucy. Lucy, discovered in 1974 in Hadar, Ethiopia, is an extinct Australopithecus afarensis hominid estimated to be 3. 2 million years old. Scientists are now conducting carbon dating tests on plants in the mud where the footprint is in order to pinpoint its precise age. "It could be the most important discovery in Egypt," Mr Hawass said.
IRAQ: Power cuts getting worse, affecting lives
IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 8/21/2007
BAGHDAD, 21 August 2007 (IRIN) - In the backyard of the house of Jassim Abdel-Rahman, a 34-year-old resident of Sadr City, a suburb of Baghdad, there are always six or so jerry cans which he refills daily with petrol for his small generator. With less than four hours electricity a day and with a newborn baby at home, Abdel-Rahman refuses to leave his family sweltering in the hot weather so he spends at least half his US$380 monthly salary repairing and refuelling his generator. "Most of the time we do not have [mains] electricity in my home," Abdel-Rahman said. "Sometimes, when the generator is broken and it takes hours to fix, my children cry because of the hot weather, and we always throw away a huge amount of food because it goes off." "Fuel is not available at petrol stations and I have to buy from the...
Lebanon camp militants seek family evacuation
Middle East Online 8/21/2007
NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon - Militants engaged in a drawn-out battle with the Lebanese army at a refugee camp have asked for their families to be evacuated from the battered camp, a mediator said Tuesday. Mohammed Hajj, a spokesman for clerics trying to broker an end to the deadly fighting at Nahr al-Bared, said a representatiave of the militants overnight Monday contacted the clerics seeking a way out for about 100 civilians. "Abu Salim Taha contacted us and asked for the civilians, meaning the Fatah al-Islam families, to be evacuated and for the army command to arrange this," Hajj said. "We contacted the army which welcomed the offer and gave assurances for the safety of the civilians," he added. He said the army command had urged the estimated 70 fighters still holed up in Nahr al-Bared to surrender and face a fair trial.
Syrian leader meets Maliki over Iraqi conflict
Middle East Online 8/21/2007
DAMASCUS - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, on his first official visit to neighbouring Syria, on Tuesday met President Bashar al-Assad, whose government is under fire from the United States over Iraq. In addition to Assad, an arch-foe of Washington and opponent of the war in Iraq, Maliki was also due to meet Vice President Faruq al-Shara and some of the estimated 1. 5 million to two million refugees who have fled fighting in his country. Around 30,000 Iraqis continue to cross into Syria each month, creating what Shara has called an "economic, social and political burden." "The American administration must take responsibility for the drama affecting Iraq and its people, and not neighbouring states," the government newspaper Tishrin said on Tuesday.
IMF expects strong Syrian economic growth in 2007
Daily Star 8/21/2007
The International Monetary Fund recently issued its final report for 2007 on the economic and financial performance in Syria. The report noticed some growth in 2006 and expected this trend to continue in 2007 as well. The following is an excerpt of the IMF's staff appraisal. STAFF APPRAISAL - 1. Syria's overall economic performance continued to be strong in 2006, and the outlook for 2007 is positive. Notwithstanding an unsettled regional environment and the impact of a sharp decline in oil proceeds, the economic recovery that started in 2004 remains on track. Non-oil GDP grew at a brisk pace in 2006, benefiting from sizeable inflows from the Iraqi refugees and abundant liquidity in the Gulf region. Strong gains in non-oil exports and a pick up of private investment contributed to growth.
War of words heats up between Syria, Saudi Arabia
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 8/22/2007
DUBAI: Tensions between regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Syria are running high because of sharp discord over Lebanon, as the country faces fresh turmoil over a divisive election and a high-profile court case. Relations have turned decidedly frosty, with Riyadh no longer endorsing a strong role for Damascus in Lebanon, where it held political and military sway for almost three decades, analysts said. "The Saudi-Syrian conflict has already caused us problems, and since it has become an open dispute it will be worse for Lebanon," said Rafik Khouri, editor-in-chief of Al-Anwar newspaper in Lebanon. In a tit-for-tat tirade, Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa aroused Saudi Arabia's ire for suggesting that the oil-rich kingdom's regional influence was almost in a state of paralysis.
Iraqi 'surge' misses its mark
Ahmed Ali, Asia Times 8/22/2007
BAQUBA, Iraq - The major US military operation in Baquba city north of Baghdad has ended, but it has left continuing suffering for residents in its wake. The US military launched Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baquba, 50 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, on June 18. Baquba is the capital city of Iraq's Diyala province. The stated goal of the operation was to eradicate al-Qaeda from the city and other areas in the province. The region has seen some of the highest number of attacks on US troops. Shortly after launching the operation, the US military admitted that nearly 80% of al-Qaeda militants had fled the area. Residents had been looking for an end to raids and abductions by criminal gangs and sectarian death squads, but the US military operation brought no relief.
US scholar freed in Tehran
Al Jazeera 8/21/2007
A Iranian-American academic accused of conspiring against the Tehran government has been released from prison after posting bail of more than $300,000. Haleh Esfandiari had been detained at Evin prison in the capital since early May charged with acting against national security. "I thank all the people who made an effort... so that I can go home now," Haleh Esfandiari told Iranian state television as she stood outside the gates of the prison. Shirin Ebadi, her lawyer and Nobel peace prize winner, said Esfandiari's family had collected her and taken her home. "I'm happy that the judiciary and the Islamic revolutionary court finally accepted the law and released my client on bail," Ebadi said. Shaul Bakhash, Esfandiari's husband, said that Fanny Esfandiari, Haleh's mother, had used the deed to her Tehran flat to post bail.
Turkish PM warns military
Al Jazeera 8/21/2007
Turkey's prime minister has called on the army to stay out of politics following months of tensions between ruling AK Party and the secular military." Let us not mix the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] up with politics. Let it stay in its place," Tayyip Erdogan said late on Monday. The army, which has expelled four governments in the past 50 years, has opposed Abdullah Gul, the foreign minister, becoming president because of his past involvement in political Islam. On Monday Gul failed to get enough votes to win the presidency outright in a parliamentary vote. "Because all our institutions conduct their duties in line with what is set out in the constitution," Erdogan said in an interview on the Kanal D TV station. "If you draw them into politics, then why are we here? " Erdogan asked in the interview on Kanal D.
UN-Iran nuclear talks 'positive'
BBC Online 8/21/2007
Iran and the UN's nuclear agency say they have made progress in talks on Tehran's nuclear programme. In July the two sides announced a two-month arrangement aimed at clearing up outstanding questions and giving the agency better access to nuclear sites. Both now say they have agreed on a timeline for implementation during a fresh round of talks in Tehran. Western powers suspect Iran of building a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Olli Heinonen, deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the two days of talks had been "good, constructive". Iranian deputy nuclear negotiator Javad Vaeedi, said: "We have a basic framework of agreement between Iran and the agency." EnrichmentThe UN Security Council has already approved sanctions against Iran, urging it to stop uranium enrichment activities.
U.S. rabbi defends N.Y. Arab school despite charges it will be anti-Israel
The Associated Press, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
U.S. Rabbi Michael Feinberg defended a planned Arab school in New York on Monday, despite charges by a state legislator that the school could teach anti-Israeli extremism. - Addressing a rally in front of the New York Department of Education, Rabbi Feinberg called on elected officials to come forward in support of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, which is scheduled to open on September 4. Rabbi Feinberg called the virulent Internet campaign against the school "the lowest of McCarthyite tactics." State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, however, slammed the school as a breeding ground for extremism." It will not, as suggested, be a hope for peace; it is a blueprint for anti-Israel and anti-U.S. extremism," Hikind said, adding that the school has been endorsed by radical groups.
Articles
Watching Gaza collapse
Yassmin Moor writing from Rafah, Gaza Strip, Electronic Intifada 8/21/2007
4 August 2007
Today I went with my cousin's wife and her children to Gaza's social welfare office to pick up her monthly paycheck from the government. My cousin was killed last September by an Israeli sniper while he stood in front of his house. Overnight his children and wife became eligible to receive 375 NIS (a little less than $100) a month from the Palestinian government because their father was now a martyr.
This is our third time coming to the office in the last month, because every time we go it's closed.The gates are open with guards out front, but the office isn't operating and there were no staff members to help us. "Why closed?" I asked one of the guards. "On strike," he replied. "So what do we do now?" I asked. "Hope we get paid so we can come back to work," he replied. I glared at him with frustration but I knew I could not really blame him or the office staff for not coming to work. He was just like any other employee in Gaza.I guess the government staff had enough; after all, they haven't been paid since January 2006 but yet still come to work. I've met people who would borrow from their neighbors just to pay for a taxi to take them to a job for which they don't even get paid.
Every attempt I make to write about Gaza to give the world an idea of what the people here are going through is overwhelming. I am never sure where to begin to give readers an idea of life in Gaza and the accelerating humanitarian and economic crises. Do I begin by describing the effects of the border closures that are, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, the reason that Gaza is on the verge of an economic collapse and if there are no changes in the upcoming weeks the entire population will be completely aid dependent? We can all certainly feel the closure's effects as all we have in the market are a few vegetables and are forced to rely on UNRWA's food packages of flour, rice and cooking oil. We cannot even grow our own food if we wanted to because farmers have run out of supplies, including fertilizer. However, Israel does allow Israeli-grown fruits and vegetables into Gaza when it so chooses. We are forced to purchase and eat out of our occupier's hand and support their economy while watching ours collapse. Divestment isn't an option here in Gaza.
Border Control / Ramallah fiddles, Gaza burns
Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
RAMALLAH - Four armed policemen in pressed blue and green camouflage uniforms sat in a command car, looking down the main street from the Beit El checkpoint to the center of town. It was 6 P.M. The last construction workers came down from the scaffolding around the high-rise buildings popping up on every corner in downtown Ramallah. There was not a single living soul in the lobby of the shiny stone building housing the Foreign Ministry, which Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has placed in the hands of his prime minister, Salam Fayad. Traffic in the commercial district was light, only a few horns honked, and the drivers, as usual, passed each other wildly, ignoring traffic lights.
The Darna Restaurant is hidden in a side alley. This is where the who's who meet - politicians, journalists, merchants and the few people of means. A cup of coffee costs 10 shekels - the daily income of the average family on the adjacent street.
A waiter arranged narghiles, and his colleague showed an elegantly dressed family to a table in the restaurant's spacious courtyard.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who helped form the alliance between Fatah and Hamas, and was rewarded with a brief term as information minister in Ismail Haniyeh's government, politely shook hands with Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of Fayad's tiny party. Azzam al-Ahmad, the Fatah faction head in the Palestinian parliament, which has been emptied of content and members, also came over to offer a modest welcome. Everyone knew each other. One used to be an important man and now doesn't have even a driver. Another was an ally yesterday and a bitter foe today.
Against all planning logic
Eli Elan, Ha'aretz 8/21/2007
The numbers leave little room for doubt: not recognizing Bedouin villages in the Negev means blatant discrimination. There are 500 to 5,000 Israeli citizens living in each unrecognized village, which, according to all planning criteria accepted elsewhere in the country, are official communities in every respect.
The Central Bureau of Statistics defines a community as a place where residents live regularly, with at least 40 adults and a local council, outside other communities' jurisdictions and recognized by the Interior Ministry. Accordingly, the Bedouin villages meet all objective criteria, and their official recognition is being blocked only by the government's capriciousness.
As a result, the 50,000 residents of these unrecognized villages are not eligible for social services, even the most basic ones. These communities have no master plans, and have had no infrastructure development, including roads, and water, sewage and electricity networks. The residents cannot obtain building permits and therefore build their homes illegally, and live under the threat of demolition.
MIDEAST: Bush Could Have Given Fatah That Kiss of Death
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani, Inter Press Service 8/21/2007
CAIRO, Aug 21(IPS) - Ever since the takeover of Gaza two months ago by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, Washington and its allies have steadfastly supported the rival Fatah movement headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. But public support for Fatah, which has come to be seen by many as a stooge of Washington and Tel Aviv, has dropped off markedly.
"Popular support for Abbas and his Fatah party has fallen for several reasons," Essam al-Arian, a leading member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement told IPS. "For one, Abbas seems prepared to give Israel all the concessions it wants without getting anything in return."
In mid-June, Hamas wrested control of the Gaza Strip from the U.S.-backed Abbas government, essentially splitting the Palestinian body politic into two distinct geographical entities. Since then, the U.S. Bush Administration -- along with most of the western media -- has consistently portrayed the dispute as one between an "extremist" Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a "moderate" Fatah in the West Bank.
"The conflict in Gaza and the West Bank today is a struggle between extremists and moderates," U.S. President George W. Bush declared in the immediate wake of the upset.
MIDEAST: When the Occupation Gets Really Filthy
Nora Barrows-Friedman, Inter Press Service 8/21/2007
BETHLEHEM, Aug 21(IPS) - In the orange glow of another sunset, Awad Abu Swai, 36, stands underneath a towering fig tree, a sample of its fruit in his hand. He peels back the bright green skin to expose crimson jelly and seeds inside.
"The Israeli military came inside the valley and cut about 50 apricot and walnut trees since May. And now, they are coming to cut more trees. This is all because of what they are building through this land -- my land. Here, they are building a sewage channel to run raw sewage through this valley collected from four Israeli settlements near here."
Abu Swai is one of approximately 4,000 residents of the Palestinian village of Artas, located southeast of Bethlehem city. Artas is known regionally for its succulent vegetables, and fruit and nut trees. But over the last few months Israeli occupation forces have brought dozens of bulldozers to the eastern valley fields of Artas to construct a wall that will cut villagers off from this fertile land, while a concrete tunnel for raw settlement sewage grows longer each day.
Efrat settlement colony, part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc that stretches around several villages and towns near Bethlehem, sits perched on a hill over Artas. Below the settlement, a colony which houses approximately 9,000 Israeli
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